EMERGENCY COMMUNICATIONS INTRODUCTION
Hans Zimmermann, F/HB9AQS
27 December 2004
Dear fellow Amateurs:
Allow me to introduce myself as the newly appointed IARU International Coordinator for Emergency Communications, and to use this opportunity to at the same time draw your attention to an event in June 2005.
The terms of reference, revised and adopted by the IARU Administrative Council in its annual meeting on 2-4 October 2004 in Port of Spain, Trinidad & Tobago, will be one of the first documents on the Emergency Communications pages, expected to be available on the IARU web site very soon. Let me here just give a brief outline of how I see the role of the Amateur Radio Service in Emergency Communications:
Amateur Radio is a Service in the sense of international regulations. As such, it enjoys privileges equivalent to those of the other recognized services such as the maritime, land-mobile or aeronautical services. These privileges include the use of our internationally allocated frequency bands, and the protection from interference in these segments of the spectrum, as well as various degrees of self-administration of these amateur bands. Recognizing the role of the Amateur Radio Service in emergency and disaster situations, the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) has just recently, in the World Radiocommunication Conference 2003 (WRC-03), adopted additional facilitations.
Amateur Radio is however also expected to provide a service in the sense of service for the public. It has a long tradition in such work, and its role has not diminished with the introduction of new technologies. Ham radio has two major applications in support of emergency and disaster response:
Together with the regional coordinators, I intend to assist all IARU member societies in fulfilling the expectations of the international community, of all those who rely on telecommunications when responding to emergencies, and of those affected by disasters. As a first step in this task, I am trying to facilitate the exchange of information about and experiences with existing concepts for training and for cooperation with partner organizations on all levels. In a number of countries, such concepts, projects or agreements are already in existence; others will be able to benefit from the work done only if information is exchanged. I am inviting you to provide me with information about your projects, concepts and experiences.
While I intend to first of all encourage and facilitate continuous information sharing by electronic and other means, I am particularly glad to announce an initiative of the Finnish Amateur Radio Society (SRAL): On 13 and 14 June 2005, a conference under the name of GAREC-2005, the First Global Amateur Radio Emergency Communications Conference, convened in Tampere, Finland. The event in this town with its long tradition in emergency telecommunications will offer a forum for the exchange of information, and I am looking forward to also benefit from the results of the conference for my own work. More about GAREC-2005 can be found in the attached information sheet and more details will soon be available on the IARU and SRAL web sites. Not everyone had an opportunity to personally participate in the conference, but we look forward to inputs such as reports, references to web sites or videos from in particular from societies who either already have existing arrangements for emergency telecommunications or who have questions or suggestions.
Let me finally say a few words about myself: I recently retired from a post in the United Nations, where I was among other matters responsible for the coordination of emergency telecommunications, chairing the Working Group on Emergency Telecommunications for the past 10 years, and coordinating the work on an international treaty on disaster telecommunications, the "Tampere Convention," adopted in 1998. In many ITU conferences and specialized meetings I already had the pleasure to cooperate closely with the IARU delegations, and to support them in their valuable work. I obtained my first amateur radio license in 1967, after some years as an SWL; since 1970 my call is HB9AQS, and after having moved to France earlier this year I am now qrv mostly as F/HB9AQS.
Still professionally involved with emergency telecommunications, I keep travelling quite extensively, mostly to international conferences, and I always try to use such opportunities to also meet with IARU societies and regional representatives. I might therefore get in touch with you one of these days; most recently I had the opportunity to visit Region 3, and for 2005 I have some countries in Regions 1 and 2 on my tentative schedule.
Please let me know if you have any suggestions, questions and comments on emergency telecommunications. I can be reached through the IARU secretariat, by e-mail h.....@arrl.net, or at my private address, POB 16, F-01340 Montrevel en Bresse, France, phone and fax +3347 452-4114.
I am looking forward to work with all of you --
73,
Hans Zimmermann, F/HB9AQS
IARU International Coordinator for Emergency Communications
Dear fellow Amateurs:
Allow me to introduce myself as the newly appointed IARU International Coordinator for Emergency Communications, and to use this opportunity to at the same time draw your attention to an event in June 2005.
The terms of reference, revised and adopted by the IARU Administrative Council in its annual meeting on 2-4 October 2004 in Port of Spain, Trinidad & Tobago, will be one of the first documents on the Emergency Communications pages, expected to be available on the IARU web site very soon. Let me here just give a brief outline of how I see the role of the Amateur Radio Service in Emergency Communications:
Amateur Radio is a Service in the sense of international regulations. As such, it enjoys privileges equivalent to those of the other recognized services such as the maritime, land-mobile or aeronautical services. These privileges include the use of our internationally allocated frequency bands, and the protection from interference in these segments of the spectrum, as well as various degrees of self-administration of these amateur bands. Recognizing the role of the Amateur Radio Service in emergency and disaster situations, the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) has just recently, in the World Radiocommunication Conference 2003 (WRC-03), adopted additional facilitations.
Amateur Radio is however also expected to provide a service in the sense of service for the public. It has a long tradition in such work, and its role has not diminished with the introduction of new technologies. Ham radio has two major applications in support of emergency and disaster response:
- The network of stations, many of which are particularly disaster-resistant thanks to independent power sources, has in many cases provided the first and often for some time only link between a location or area affected by a disaster and the "outside world". Advanced technologies provide real time connectivity for an ever-increasing part of the world, but at the same time their networks are increasingly vulnerable. Amateur Radio communications do not depend on any infrastructure other than the equipment under the direct control of the operators, thus having the best chance to remain operational even in the aftermath of a catastrophic event.
- Skilled operators are in demand more than ever, to install, maintain and operate the emergency telecommunication networks of the providers of emergency and disaster response. Quite a few amateurs are professionally working as telecommunications officers for international organizations, many in senior positions. Many more are volunteers in national organizations having respective agreements with the national and local amateur radio societies and clubs. When it comes to establishing communications under the adverse and often also dangerous conditions in the aftermath of a disaster, nobody is more able than a ham to make the best from whatever is available.
Together with the regional coordinators, I intend to assist all IARU member societies in fulfilling the expectations of the international community, of all those who rely on telecommunications when responding to emergencies, and of those affected by disasters. As a first step in this task, I am trying to facilitate the exchange of information about and experiences with existing concepts for training and for cooperation with partner organizations on all levels. In a number of countries, such concepts, projects or agreements are already in existence; others will be able to benefit from the work done only if information is exchanged. I am inviting you to provide me with information about your projects, concepts and experiences.
While I intend to first of all encourage and facilitate continuous information sharing by electronic and other means, I am particularly glad to announce an initiative of the Finnish Amateur Radio Society (SRAL): On 13 and 14 June 2005, a conference under the name of GAREC-2005, the First Global Amateur Radio Emergency Communications Conference, convened in Tampere, Finland. The event in this town with its long tradition in emergency telecommunications will offer a forum for the exchange of information, and I am looking forward to also benefit from the results of the conference for my own work. More about GAREC-2005 can be found in the attached information sheet and more details will soon be available on the IARU and SRAL web sites. Not everyone had an opportunity to personally participate in the conference, but we look forward to inputs such as reports, references to web sites or videos from in particular from societies who either already have existing arrangements for emergency telecommunications or who have questions or suggestions.
Let me finally say a few words about myself: I recently retired from a post in the United Nations, where I was among other matters responsible for the coordination of emergency telecommunications, chairing the Working Group on Emergency Telecommunications for the past 10 years, and coordinating the work on an international treaty on disaster telecommunications, the "Tampere Convention," adopted in 1998. In many ITU conferences and specialized meetings I already had the pleasure to cooperate closely with the IARU delegations, and to support them in their valuable work. I obtained my first amateur radio license in 1967, after some years as an SWL; since 1970 my call is HB9AQS, and after having moved to France earlier this year I am now qrv mostly as F/HB9AQS.
Still professionally involved with emergency telecommunications, I keep travelling quite extensively, mostly to international conferences, and I always try to use such opportunities to also meet with IARU societies and regional representatives. I might therefore get in touch with you one of these days; most recently I had the opportunity to visit Region 3, and for 2005 I have some countries in Regions 1 and 2 on my tentative schedule.
Please let me know if you have any suggestions, questions and comments on emergency telecommunications. I can be reached through the IARU secretariat, by e-mail h.....@arrl.net, or at my private address, POB 16, F-01340 Montrevel en Bresse, France, phone and fax +3347 452-4114.
I am looking forward to work with all of you --
73,
Hans Zimmermann, F/HB9AQS
IARU International Coordinator for Emergency Communications
